SETTLE UP

After a trip, everybody has paid a different amount for a different set of things. Settling up is the part where you turn that mess into a short list of payments. Enter who paid what below and you'll get the fewest possible payments that clear the group.

THE MATH, IN PLAIN ENGLISH

1. 1. Total it up. Add every expense in the group. That's what the trip actually cost.
2. 2. Work out each person's share. Usually the total divided by the number of people, but it can be weighted by shares or percentages when someone had the big room or skipped a dinner.
3. 3. Net each person out. Paid minus share. Positive means they're owed money; negative means they owe.
4. 4. Match biggest to biggest. Take the person who owes the most and pay the person who's owed the most. Repeat until everything is zero. That produces the shortest possible list of payments — usually one fewer than the number of people, often far fewer.

This is exactly what Tabby runs on every tab, automatically, every time someone adds an expense. See how it works or split a single check with the bill split calculator.

QUESTIONS

What does settle up mean?

Settling up means clearing the debts inside a group so everyone ends at zero. Instead of each person paying each other person, a settle-up calculation finds the smallest set of payments that cancels every balance.

How do you work out who owes who?

For each person, add up everything they paid and subtract their share of every expense. A positive number means the group owes them; a negative number means they owe the group. Then match the biggest debtor to the biggest creditor, repeat, and you get the minimum number of payments.

Is there a free settle up app?

Yes. Tabby is free to start: unlimited tabs, people and expenses, with settle-up calculated automatically. Only the person who starts the tab needs an account.

How does Tabby handle someone paying only part of what they owe?

Mark the payment that actually happened. Tabby records the settlement, subtracts it from the balance, and recalculates the remaining payments. Anyone in the tab can mark a payment, and anyone can undo it.